If you had to name the most Christian place in Austin, I bet your first pick wouldn’t be a synagogue, would it?

Of course, when I say “Christian” and then mention a synagogue I’m obviously not speaking literally; I’m speaking figuratively. I’m talking about the values I heard about as a kid (on those rare occasions when I couldn’t get out of going to church with my parents). I’m referring to those qualities that prompt people of a certain generation to say things like, “It’s the Christian thing to do,” or “She’s a good Christian lady.”

In other words, I’m talking about doing the right thing.

What prompts this train of thought (granted, it’s a small train, not unlike the ones found under Christmas trees on the morning of Dec. 25, and it could probably use some fresh batteries) is something that recently happened here.

For 23 years, folks from all walks of life and all sorts of religions have been coming together at the Austin Area Interreligious Ministries Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration to acknowledge that we all have a lot to be thankful for. You might think that an activity like that would be pretty innocuous. You might think that it would be hard to find fault with.

You might think that, but you’d be wrong.

The celebration was going to be held at the Quarries, a North Austin property owned by Hyde Park Baptist Church. The event was organized this year by the Central Texas Muslimaat, an organization devoted to the needs and interests of Muslim women.

Staff members at the Quarries were notified of the event's interfaith nature when the facility was booked in July, but an official at Hyde Park said in a statement that church leaders didn't realize the true nature of the event until they received a postcard describing it.

And when they did realize the true nature of the event – that “non-Christians” would be celebrating there - Hyde Park backed out. In the statement, church officials said, “Hyde Park Baptist Church hopes that the AAIM and the community of faith will understand and be tolerant of our church's beliefs that have resulted in this decision."

Of course, you can’t help but think that “non-Christian” is code, and that what Hyde Park really meant is “Muslim.”

Fortunately, the good folks at Congregation Beth Israel offered their worship space and celebrants from several faiths and denominations, including Methodists, Bahais, Buddhists and – one assumes – Baptists got together, talked some football, and gave thanks for living in a city that’s usually pretty tolerant of differing beliefs.

Obviously, Hyde Park can do what they like with their space; if they don’t want Muslims or Druids or Zoroastrians celebrating in their building, that’s their right. But it makes me wonder what would happen if Jesus had wanted to hold the Last Supper at a Hyde Park property. Would they black-ball him, too? After all, He may be Christ, but he wasn’t a Christian.

Kinky Friedman once said, “They don’t make Jews like Jesus anymore.” You ask me, they’re not making enough Christians like Jesus anymore, either.